Bobbe J. Bridge

Justice Bobbe J. Bridge (Ret.)

Board Director, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Justice Bobbe J. Bridge (Ret.), founding president and CEO of the Center for Children & Youth Justice (CCYJ), served on the Washington State Supreme Court from 2000 to 2008 and on the King County Superior Court from 1990 to 2000, where she was chief juvenile court judge for three years. She was co-chair of the Washington State Supreme Court Commission on Children in Foster Care. Before joining the bench, Justice Bridge was the first female partner at the Seattle law firm of Garvey Schubert Barer. She is recognized as a leading advocate for foster care reform, domestic violence victims, truancy prevention, and juvenile justice reform.

Justice Bridge is a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist. She has been on the boards of many nonprofit organizations, including YouthCare and the YWCA. In 1999, she helped establish and fund the Pacific Northwest’s first court-based child care center at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, Wash., offering a safe place for parents and guardians.

Among her many awards as an advocate for children and youth are the 2019 Crosscut’s David Brewster Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015 Debra Friedman Timeless Award from City of Tacoma, 2014 Lifetime of Idealism Award from City Year, 2014 Baxter Award from Foster Parent Association of Washington State, 2010 Advocacy Spirit Award from the National Network for Youth, the 2009 Strategies for Youth Award from the Washington State Lieutenant Governor, the Passing the Torch Award from Washington Women Lawyers, the Seattle Civil Rights Champion Award from Lambda Legal, the Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Washington School of Law and the Judge of the Year Award from the King County Bar Association. Justice Bridge also has been inducted into the Washington Generals for special service to the citizens of the State and into the Warren E. Burger Society of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC).